Another of the first generation SAIC concept cars is the E1 which was unveiled at Auto China in April - the fully electric E1 will most likely see production as a Roewe - one of SAIC's fully-owned brand names

India's vehicles per capita ownership is at the same ratio as America was in 1912. China's vehicles per capita ownership is at the same ratio as America was in 1923.

Urban income is growing at such a rate in China that it's no wonder the workforce is content

China's people are more optimistic than your country - wherever you might live

China is one of the most enthusiastic users of new technology in the world

High technology product ownership in Chinese homes will surpass the ratios of many developed countries in the near future

Urban Chinese youth are among the most prolific users of mobile phone and mobile internet technologies in the world

By almost any measure, Urban Chinese have surpassed the citizens of the U.K. and U.S.A. in mobile telephone and mobile internet usage

China is the most optimistic country of them all

China's living standards have improved dramatically in the last three decades

The massive Expo 2010 site

One of SAIC's electric street sweepers at Expo 2010

This is the device which connects from a supercapacitor bus to the power grid to enable rapid charging at Expo 2010

Supercapacitor and fuel cell buses on site at Expo 2010

SAIC also has a few fuel cell buses on the Expo 2010 fleet

Supercacitor buses at Expo 2010

China's promotion of the Expo and its message was ubiquitous across China

Author Mike Hanlon in the Yez

The Yez could quite possible live in your apartment with you

One of SAIC's engineers runs me around the YEZ, explaining the different aspects of the concept car

Backing the Yez had its moments as the video cameras to be used for rear vision mirrors weren't hooked up

Built for Shanghai in 2030 - the Yez Concept

One of the design centres Yez has opened in the U.K.

The Yez has performed flawlessly in the show at the SAIC/GM Pavilion at Expo 2010 - every half an hour, all day every day since May 1.

One of the four Yez Concept machines constructed for the Expo, this one lives permanently downstairs at the SAIC pavilion

The Yez wheels incorporate small wind turbines to harvest energy from the turbulence and windflow while driving.

China's message is everywhere - this particular instance was shot in an airport

The SAIC/General Motors Pavilion contains the most fully-formed vision of future transportation technologies at the entire expo

There are currently 122 cities in China with more than a million people - by comparison Europe has 35 and America just nine such cities

China's economy will be the dominant economy in the world by 2050 - China has already amassed USD 2.4 trillion in foreign

The rate of urban construction in hundreds of cities across China is beyond anything we have seen in Western countries - hundreds of skyscrapers being constructed simultaneously

In 1950, America produced more than 80% of all automobiles globally

Chairman Mao inspects China's first automobile in 1959 - 50 years later, China became the world's largest auto maker

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Article Summary

A few days ago, I managed to get up close and personal in Shanghai with one of the most interesting concept cars the world has yet seen. SAIC's Yez concept car is the first automobile, concept or otherwise, that's ever been conceived to have a negative carbon footprint. That is, it removes more pollution than it creates.